Wet Wipe Refill Container Indicator

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a wet wipe refill container and a wet wipes dispensing system. Users frequently refill empty wet wipe dispensers with wet wipes removed from a wet wipe refill container. The user can have difficulty estimating the correct number of wipes to remove from the wet wipe refill container when filling the wet wipe dispenser to maintain dispensing functionality. The wet wipe refill container includes an indicator to assist users in determining the recommended refill thickness of wet wipes to place into the empty wet wipes dispenser.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

There are a variety of storing and dispensing containers in the market,particularly those for storing and dispensing wipe type products.Wipe-type products or wipes have been made from a variety of materialswhich can be dry or wet when used. Wet wipes can be moistened with avariety of suitable wiping solutions. Such wet wipes have been used forbaby wipes, hand wipes, personal care wipes, household cleaning wipes,industrial wipes and the like.

Conventional dispensers of wipes have often included a plasticcontainer, tub or package that provides a sealed environment for the wetwipes to ensure that they do not become dirty or overly dry. Oftentimes,when the wet wipes have been consumed from the wet wipe dispenser, usersrefill the wet wipe dispenser with wet wipes removed from a wet wiperefill container. The user realizes increased value by purchasing a wetwipe refill container of wet wipes since they are not spending money foran additional or a new wet wipe dispenser. Consumers also appreciateenvironmental sustainability by being able to reuse the wet wipedispenser and avoid packaging waste.

An example of a current wet wipe refill container is a flexible filmpackage in the form of a bag that contains a stack of wet wipes as iswell known to those skilled in the art. Some commercial wet wipe refillcontainers include graphic instructions on the outside of the containershowing how to place the refill wet wipes inside of the wet wipedispenser. The current commercial wet wipe containers do not give anindication of how many wet wipes should be placed within wet wipedispenser. Consumers often have difficulty determining how many wetwipes should be removed from the wet wipe refill container that will fitinto the wet wipe dispenser and still allow for functional dispensationfrom the wet wipe dispenser. For example, if too many wet wipes areplaced into the dispenser, the wipes will jam the opening of thedispenser causing the wipes to tear as they are being pulled out of theopening or cause a complete clog that does not allow for any wipes to bedispensed.

The issue of determining the number of wet wipes to be removed from thewet wipe refill container becomes exacerbated for consumers who usemultiple types of wet wipe dispensers. For example, while wet wipes aremost commonly used in conjunction with diapering, wet wipes areincreasingly being used for non-diapering purposes, such as for cleaningof the face and hands, cleaning up messes, and other uses. Hence, aconsumer may use a traditional “tub” type of wet wipe dispenser in ababy's room and a smaller, “on the go” type of wet wipe dispenser thatmore easily fits into an automobile or a diaper changing bag. As such, aneed currently exists for a wet wipe refill container that indicates thenumber of wet wipes that should be removed from the wet wipe refillcontainer that will adequately fit into the desired type of wet wipedispenser to provide functional dispensation.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a refill containerhaving a height dimension. The container includes a bottom wall and atleast one side wall that is contiguous with the bottom wall and the sidewall extends upward from the bottom wall in the height dimension. Thecontainer has an exterior surface and an interior surface. The containerfurther includes an access opening. The container houses a plurality ofarticles stacked in the height dimension. The container further includesa graduated scale disposed on the side wall such that the graduatedscale includes a first graduation. The first graduation is spaced arecommended refill thickness from the bottom wall in the heightdimension.

In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a refillcontainer having a height dimension. The refill container includes abottom wall and a first side wall and a second side wall that iscontiguous with the bottom wall and the first side wall and the secondside wall extend upward from the bottom wall in the height dimension.The refill container has an exterior surface and an interior surface.The refill container further includes an access opening. The refillcontainer houses a plurality of articles stacked in the heightdimension. The refill container includes a first graduated scaledisposed on the first side wall or the second side wall such that thefirst graduated scale includes a first graduation of the first graduatedscale. The first graduation is spaced a first recommended refillthickness upward from the bottom wall in the height dimension. Therefill container additionally includes a second graduated scale disposedon the first side wall or the second side wall such that the secondgraduated scale includes a first graduation. The first graduation of thesecond graduated scale is spaced a second recommended refill thicknessupward from the bottom wall in the height dimension.

In yet another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a wipesdispensing system that includes a first refillable wipe dispenseradapted to house a stack of wipes having a first recommended refillthickness and a second refillable wipe dispenser adapted to house astack of wipes having a second recommended refill thickness wherein thefirst recommended refill thickness is different than the secondrecommended refill thickness. The wipes dispensing system also includesa refill container having a height dimension. The refill containerincludes a bottom wall and a first side wall and a second side wall thatis contiguous with the bottom wall and the first side wall and thesecond side wall extend upward from the bottom wall in the heightdimension and the first side wall and the second side wall have a widthdimension that is perpendicular to the height dimension. The refillcontainer further includes an access opening. The refill containerhouses a plurality of articles stacked in the height dimension. Therefill container includes a first graduated scale disposed on the firstside wall or the second side wall such that the first graduated scaleincludes a first graduation of the first graduated scale. The firstgraduation of the first graduation scale is spaced a first recommendedrefill thickness upward from the bottom wall in the height dimension.The refill container additionally includes a second graduated scaledisposed on the first side wall or the second side wall such that thesecond graduated scale includes a first graduation of the secondgraduated scale. The first graduation of the second graduated scale isspaced a second recommended refill thickness upward from the bottom wallin the height dimension.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be more fully understood and further featureswill become apparent when reference is made to the following detaileddescription of the invention and the accompanying drawings. The drawingsare merely representative and are not intended to limit the scope of theclaims. Like parts of the packages depicted in the drawings are referredto by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1A representatively illustrates a perspective view of oneembodiment of the refill container of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B representatively illustrates a perspective view of a secondembodiment of the refill container of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1C representatively illustrates a perspective view of a thirdembodiment of the refill container of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A representatively illustrates a perspective view of a thirdembodiment of the refill container of the present disclosure in an openconfiguration.

FIG. 2B representatively illustrates a perspective view of a thirdembodiment of the refill container of the present disclosure in a closedconfiguration.

FIG. 3A representatively illustrates a perspective view of a stack ofwet wipes.

FIG. 3B representatively illustrates a side view of the stack of wetwipes illustrated in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A representatively illustrates a perspective view of an embodimentof the present disclosure where the refill container is housing a stackof wet wipes stacked in the height dimension relative to the bottomwall.

FIG. 4B representatively illustrates a perspective view of an embodimentof the present disclosure where the refill container is housing a stackof wet wipes stacked in the width dimension relative to the bottom wall.

FIG. 4C representatively illustrates a perspective view of anotherembodiment of the present disclosure where the refill container ishousing a stack of wet wipes stacked in the height dimension relative tothe bottom wall.

FIG. 5A representatively illustrates a perspective view of an embodimentof the present disclosure where the refill container has a firstgraduated scale with a first graduation.

FIG. 5B representatively illustrates a perspective view of an embodimentof the present disclosure where the refill container has a firstgraduated scale with a first graduation and a second graduation.

FIG. 6A representatively illustrates a perspective view of a type of tubwet wipe dispenser.

FIG. 6B representatively illustrates a plan view of the left end wall ofthe embodiment of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A representatively illustrates a perspective view of another typeof wet wipe dispenser.

FIG. 7B representatively illustrates a plan view of the left end wall ofthe embodiment of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8A representatively illustrates a perspective view of a travelsized type of wet wipe dispenser.

FIG. 8B representatively illustrates a plan view of the left end wall ofthe embodiment of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9 representatively illustrates a perspective view of an embodimentof the present disclosure where the refill container has a firstgraduated scale and a second graduated scale with separate centerlines.

FIG. 10 representatively illustrates a perspective view of an embodimentof the present disclosure where the refill container has a firstgraduated scale and a second graduated scale with common centerlines.

FIG. 11 representatively illustrates a perspective view of an embodimentof the present disclosure where the refill container has a firstgraduated scale, a second graduated scale and a third graduated scalewith separate centerlines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to a wet wipe refill container and a wetwipes dispensing system. When wet wipes are consumed from a wet wipedispenser, users oftentimes refill the wet wipe dispenser with wet wipestaken from a wet wipes refill container. The user may have difficultydetermining the correct number of wipes to remove from the wet wiperefill container to properly fill the wet wipe dispenser. It has beendiscovered that if too many wipes are placed in the interior space ofthe wet wipe dispenser, the user may encounter dispensing issues.Accordingly, if the number of wet wipes is stacked such that the top ofthe wet wipe stack is too firmly pressed against the inner surface ofthe wet wipe dispenser, dispensing of the top wipe or wipes in the stackcan be impeded or even clog the access opening of the wet wipedispenser. The wet wipe refill container of the present disclosureincludes an indicator to assist users in estimating the appropriatenumber of wet wipes when refilling the empty wet wipe dispenser.

A wet wipe refill container 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1A. In anembodiment, the wet wipe refill container 10 includes a bottom wall 12,at least one side wall 14 a, 14 b, 14 c and 14 d that is contiguous withthe bottom wall 12, and a top wall 15. An access opening 16 is providedfor removal of the wet wipes 24. The wet wipe refill container 10includes a height dimension 22 that is perpendicular to both the planesubstantially defined by the bottom wall 12 and the plane substantiallydefined by the top wall 15. The wet wipe refill container 10 includes awidth dimension 26 that is parallel to both the plane substantiallydefined by a side wall 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, and 14 d and the planesubstantially defined by an opposing side wall 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, and 14d. The wet wipe refill container 10 includes an exterior surface 18 andan interior surface 20.

The access opening 16 is in the plane that defines the periphery of theaccess opening 16. That is to say, the plane occupied by the perimeterof the access opening 16 defines the periphery of the access opening 16.In an embodiment, the access opening 16 may be in a plane that issubstantially parallel to a plane that is occupied by the bottom wall 12such that the access opening 16 is in the plane occupied by the top wall15 as shown in FIG. 1A. In an embodiment, the access opening 16 may bein a plane that is substantially perpendicular to a plane that isoccupied by the bottom wall 12 such that the access opening is in theplane occupied by one of the side walls 14 as shown in FIG. 1B. Types ofaccess openings 16 may include but are not limited to press and seal orrigid lid type of openings.

In an embodiment, the wet wipe refill container 10, can be a rectangularparallelepiped as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. The top wall 15 may be aseparate piece of material connected to the side walls 14 a, 14 b, 14 c,and 14 d. In an embodiment, the wet wipe refill container 10 includes atop wall 15 that is in the plane that is formed when the top of the sidewalls 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, and 14 d, that is, in the height dimension 22upward from the bottom wall 12, are brought together forming apolyhedron as shown in FIG. 1C. In an embodiment, the wet wipe refillcontainer 40 can be a cylinder wherein the bottom wall 42 is connectedto the side wall 44 as shown in FIG. 2A. The wet wipe refill container40 forms a sack when a drawstring 47 is pulled tight to close the accessopening 46 that is located upward from the bottom wall 42 in the heightdimension 52 as shown in FIG. 2B. The side walls 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 dand 44 may be formed of one piece of material that is connected to orcontinuous with the bottom wall 12, or the side walls 14 a, 14 b, 14 c,14 d or 44 may be two, three or four separate pieces of materialconnected to or continuous with the bottom wall 12. The side walls 14 a,14 b, 14 c, 14 d or 44 and the bottom wall 12 may be formed from thesame piece of material.

Various components of the wet wipe refill container 10 can be opaque or,alternatively, can be transparent or translucent to allow a visualinspection of the quantity of wipes remaining in the wet wipe refillcontainer 10. Various components of the wet wipe refill container 10 canbe made of various polymers, copolymers, and mixtures, including, e.g.,polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and polystyrene. Variouscomponents of the wet wipe refill container 10 can be rigid or flexible.

The wet wipes 24 are stacked upon each other to form a stack of wetwipes 25 as is known in the art. FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B illustraterectangular wet wipes 24 in a stack of wipes 25 in a perspective viewand a side view, respectively. In particular embodiments, the wet wipes24 are stacked upon each other to form a stack of wet wipes 25 and aredisposed within the wet wipe refill container 10 in the height dimension22 as shown in FIG. 4A. In other embodiments, the wet wipes 24 arestacked to form a stack of wet wipes 25 and are disposed within the wetwipe refill container 10 in the width dimension 26 as shown in FIG. 4B.FIG. 4C illustrates a stack of circular wet wipes 25 disposed within thecylindrical wet wipe refill container 40 in the height dimension 52.

Wet wipe dispensers 100, 120 or 130 are adapted such that each wet wipe24 is to be extracted from the dispenser 100, 120 or 130 preferably oneat a time. The wet wipes 24 are desirably configured within the stack 25to provide “pop-up” dispensing. In such configurations, when a wet wipe24 is removed from the wet wipe dispenser 100, 120 or 130, the wet wipe24 pulls along the leading end of the succeeding wet wipe 24, by virtueof the succeeding wet wipe 24 being in operative contact with theleading wet wipe 24 such as via interfolding, via adhesive bonding, orvia an integral connection along a line of weakness. Preferably, as theleading wipe 24 is pulled out of and away from the dispenser 100, 120 or130, the trailing end of the leading wet wipe 24 breaks free from theleading end of the succeeding wet wipe 24, and the leading end of thesucceeding wipe 24 is left protruding from the dispenser 100, 120 or130. In this way, the leading end of the succeeding wet wipe 24 isimmediately and automatically positioned for grasping and subsequentwithdrawal from the dispenser 100, 120 or 130, and what was previouslythe succeeding wet wipe 24 now becomes a leading wet wipe 24.Alternatively, the dispenser 100, 120 or 130 may include a stack of wetwipes 25 in a non-interfolded configuration, for “reach-in” dispensing.For such a non-interfolded stack of wet wipes 25, each wet wipe 24 maybe folded onto itself with no portion of another wet wipe 24 beingpositioned between or underneath any portion of the folds of theadjacent wet wipe(s) 24.

In particular embodiments, each of the wet wipes 24 in the stack of wetwipes 25 are interfolded with one another, such as via c-folds, z-folds,or other zig zag folds. In other embodiments, the wet wipes 24 in thestack of wet wipes 25 are interconnected via frangible lines ofweakness. For example, the wet wipes 24 can be arranged in the dispenser100, 120 or 130 as a continuous web of interconnected wet wipes 24 whichare folded in an accordion-like stacked configuration. The individualwet wipes 24 can be connected together along lines of frangibility, suchas lines of perforations, to ensure that the trailing wet wipe 24 is inposition for grasping by the user after the leading wet wipe 24 isremoved. For example, the wet wipes 24 can be provided by a continuousweb of material which has a series of lines of frangibility extendingacross the width of the web. Each portion of the web of material betweensuccessive lines of frangibility constitutes an individual wet wipe 24.The lines of frangibility can be provided by means known to thoseskilled in the art such as perforations, indentations, score lines, orcuts in the web of material.

Materials suitable for the wet wipes 24 employed in conjunction with thepresent disclosure are well known to those skilled in the art. Forexample, the wet wipes 24 can be made from nonwoven materials suchmeltblown, coform, air-laid, or bonded-carded web materials,hydroentangled materials, high wet-strength tissue, or the like, and cancomprise synthetic or natural fibers or combinations thereof. The wetwipes 24 of the present disclosure can contain a liquid which can be anysolution which can be absorbed into or entrained within the wet wipes24. The liquid contained within the wet wipes 24 can include componentswhich provide the desired wiping properties. For example, the componentscan include water, emollients, surfactants, preservatives, chelatingagents, pH buffers, fragrances, or combinations thereof. The liquid canalso contain lotions, ointments, and/or medicaments. The amount ofliquid contained within each wet wipe 24 can vary depending upon thetype of material being used to provide the wet wipe 24, the type ofliquid being used, the type of container being used to store the stackof wet wipes 25, and the desired end use of the wet wipe 24. Generally,each wet wipe 24 can contain from about 150 to about 600 weight percentand desirably from about 200 to about 400 weight percent liquid based onthe dry weight of the wipe 24.

The wet wipe refill container 10 has an indicator that is a graduatedscale 59 marked on at least one side wall 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d or 44.The graduated scale 59 assists the user in determining the appropriatenumber of wet wipes 24 that should be removed from the wet wipe refillcontainer 10 that can be placed into the wet wipe dispenser 100, 120 or130 for functional dispensation. As used herein, a “graduated scale” 59includes one or more graduations, such as marks, spaced at one or morepredetermined intervals in the direction in which the wet wipes 24 arestacked. While referring to FIG. 5A, in an embodiment, a wet wipe refillcontainer 10 houses a plurality of wet wipes 24 stacked in the heightdimension 22. A first graduated scale 59 includes a first graduation 62positioned on a side wall 14 a at a recommended refill thickness 63upward from the bottom wall 12 in the height dimension 22. The“recommended refill thickness” 63 as used herein means the height of astack of wipes 25 that will fit into the particular wet wipe dispenser100, 120 or 130 of interest to the user that allows for optimumfunctioning. While it may be possible to place more wet wipes 24 thanthe number of wet wipes 24 that constitutes the recommended refillthickness 63 into the particular wet wipe dispenser 100, 120 or 130, thedrawbacks of impeded or clogged dispensing may be experienced by theuser. Hence, the recommended refill thickness 63 can be identified for aparticular wet wipe dispenser 100, 120, or 130 such that dispensingfunctionality for the user is not negatively impacted.

The wet wipe refill container 10 of the present disclosure can containany number of individual wet wipes 24 that would be suitable forrefilling the wet wipe dispenser 100, 120 or 130 of interest. Forexample, certain commercial HUGGIES® Natural Care wet wipes 24 areavailable in a wet wipe dispenser 100 that is preloaded with sixty-fourwet wipes 24. A corresponding HUGGIES® wet wipe refill container 10 maybe sold with significantly more than sixty-four wet wipes 24, such as,for example, two hundred wet wipes 24. In one embodiment, the wet wiperefill container 10 includes a graduated scale 59 that is marked withthe recommended refill thickness 63 that is the height of sixty-fourHUGGIES® Natural Care wet wipes 24.

In an alternate embodiment, shown in FIG. 5B, a wet wipe refillcontainer 10 houses a plurality of wet wipes 24 stacked in the heightdimension 22. In this embodiment, a first graduated scale 59 includes afirst graduation 62 and a second graduation 64. The first graduation 62is marked on a side wall 14 a with a recommended refill thickness 63 aupward from the bottom wall 12 in the height dimension 22. A secondgraduation 64 is marked on the same side wall 14 a the recommendedrefill thickness 63 b upward from the first graduation 62. In anembodiment, the wet wipes 24 stacked above the second graduation 64 maydefine a recommended refill thickness 63 c and may extend to the topwall 15. In an embodiment, the wet wipe refill container 10 may haveadditional graduations 62, 64 marked within the first graduated scale 59to include additional sections that define recommended refillthicknesses 63, marked upward in the height dimension 22 from the priorgraduation mark 62 or 64.

In an embodiment, the graduation marks 62 or 64 can include words,numbers, letters, characters, symbols, shapes, lines, dots, colors,patterns, raised portions, depressed portions or combinations thereofand can be printed, etched, embossed, or the like. In an embodiment, thegraduation marks 62 or 64 can be disposed on the interior surface 20and/or on the exterior surface 18 of the wet wipe refill container 10.In an embodiment, graduation marks 62 or 64 that are disposed on theinterior surface 20 of the wet wipe refill container 10 may be visibleand or tactilely detectable from the exterior surface 18 of the wet wiperefill container 10. In an embodiment, graduation marks 62 or 64 thatare disposed on the exterior surface 18 of the wet wipe refill container10 may be visible and or tactilely detectable from the interior surface20 of the wet wipe refill container 10. Each of these embodimentsfurther assists the user in removing the recommended refill thickness 63from the wet wipe refill container 10.

Wet wipes 24 may be used in conjunction with diapering and non-diaperingpurposes, such as cleaning of the face and hands, cleaning up messes,and other uses. Hence, a consumer may use a traditional “tub” type ofwet wipe dispenser 100 in a baby's room where frequent diapering mayoccur and thus a greater number of wet wipes 24 is desired to be kept onhand than the number of wipes 24 that can be held in a smaller wet wipedispenser 120 or 130. FIG. 6A illustrates an embodiment of a tub wetwipe dispenser 100 including a bottom wall 112, side walls 114, a topwall 115 and an access opening 116. The tub wet wipe dispenser 100 hasan internal dispenser height 101 that extends in the height dimension 22from the interior of the bottom wall 112 to the interior of the top wall115. In an embodiment, the internal dispenser height 101 does notcorrespond to the recommended refill thickness 63; instead, therecommended refill thickness 63 is less than the internal dispenserheight 101. A recommended refill thickness 63 of wet wipes 24 that isthe same height as the internal dispenser height 101 could in certainembodiments cause impeded or clogged dispensation from wet wipedispenser 100. FIG. 6B is a plan view of the left end wall 114 of theembodiment of FIG. 6A illustrating that the internal dispenser height101 is greater than the recommended refill thickness 63.

A consumer may use a different wet wipe dispenser 120 for purposes otherthan diapering such as cleaning messes or wiping faces and suchdispensers can be kept in other areas such as a garage or a kitchen.FIG. 7A illustrates an embodiment of another wet wipe dispenser 120including a bottom wall 122, side walls 124, a top wall 125 and anaccess opening 126. The wet wipe dispenser 120 has an internal dispenserheight 121 that extends from the interior of the bottom wall 122 to theinterior of the top wall 125. In an embodiment, the internal dispenserheight 121 does not correspond to the recommended refill thickness 73;instead, the recommended refill thickness 73 is less than the internaldispenser height 121. A recommended refill thickness 73 of wet wipes 24that is the same height as the internal dispenser height 121 could incertain embodiments cause impeded or clogged dispensation from wet wipedispenser 120. FIG. 7B is a plan view of the left end wall 124 of theembodiment of FIG. 7A illustrating that the internal dispenser height121 is greater than the recommended refill thickness 73. For example,certain commercial HUGGIES® Natural Care wet wipes 24 are available in awet wipe dispenser 120 that is preloaded with forty wet wipes 24 thatare stacked in the height dimension 22; such a wet wipe dispenser 120 isillustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B. The recommended refill thickness 73 forthis particular wet wipe dispenser 120 is forty wet wipes 24.

A consumer may use yet another wet wipe dispenser 130 for “on the go”convenience of a wet wipe dispenser 130 that can more easily fit into anautomobile or a diaper changing bag. FIG. 8A illustrates an embodimentof an “on the go”, travel sized wet wipe dispenser 130 including abottom wall 132, side walls 134, a top wall 135 and an access opening136. The travel sized wet wipe dispenser 130 has an internal dispenserheight 131 that extends from the interior of the bottom wall 132 to theinterior of the top wall 135. In an embodiment, the internal dispenserheight 131 does not correspond to the recommended refill thickness 83;instead, the recommended refill thickness 83 is less than the internaldispenser height 131. A recommended refill thickness 83 of wet wipes 24that is the internal dispenser height 131 could in certain embodimentscause impeded or clogged dispensation from the wet wipe dispenser 130.FIG. 8B is a plan view of the left end wall 134 of the embodiment ofFIG. 8A illustrating that the internal dispenser height 131 is greaterthan the recommended refill thickness 83. For example, certaincommercial HUGGIES® Natural Care wet wipes 24 are available in a wetwipe dispenser 130 that is preloaded with sixteen wet wipes 24 that arestacked in the height dimension 22; such a wet wipe dispenser 130 isillustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B. The recommended refill thickness 83 forthis particular wet wipe dispenser 130 is sixteen wet wipes 24.

In an embodiment, while referring to FIG. 9, the wet wipe refillcontainer 10 includes a first graduated scale 59 that includes a firstgraduation 62 and a second graduation 64. The first graduation 62 isplaced a first recommended refill thickness 63 a upward from the bottomwall 12 in the height dimension 22. The first recommended refillthickness 63 is associated with the first graduated scale 59 and isassociated with a particular wet wipe dispenser 100. The secondgraduation 64 is placed a first recommended refill thickness 63 bassociated with the same wet wipe dispenser 100 upward from the firstgraduation 62 in the height dimension 22. The wet wipe refill container10 additionally includes a second graduated scale 69 that includes afirst graduation 72 and a second graduation 74. The first graduation 72is placed a second recommended refill thickness 73 a upward from thebottom wall 12 in the height dimension 22. The second recommended refillthickness 73 is associated with the second graduated scale 69 and isassociated with a particular wet wipe dispenser 120 that is differentfrom the particular wet wipe dispenser 100 associated with the firstgraduated scale 59. The second graduation 74 is placed the secondrecommended refill thickness 73 b associated with the same wet wipedispenser 120 upward from the first graduation of 72 in the heightdimension 22. In certain embodiments, it is to be understood thatseveral graduation marks 62, 64, 72, and 74 may be present for eachgraduated scale 59 or 69 for the wet wipe refill container 10.

Wet wipe dispenser indicia 65 or 75 may be associated with eachgraduated scale 59 or 69 to further assist the user with identifying thewet wipe dispenser 100 or 120 that is associated with the graduatedscale 59 or 69 of interest. The wet wipe dispenser indicia 65 or 75 caninclude words, numbers, letters, characters, symbols, shapes, lines,dots, colors, patterns, raised portions, depressed portions orcombinations thereof. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a first wet wipedispenser indicia 65 is shown that is associated with the firstgraduated scale 59 that is associated with the first recommended refillthickness 63 for the associated first wet wipe dispenser 100. A secondwet wipe dispenser indicia 75 is shown that is associated with thesecond graduated scale 69 that is associated with the second recommendedrefill thickness 73 for the associated second wet wipe dispenser 120.

The first graduated scale 59 includes a first graduated scale centerline60 and the second graduated scale 69 includes a second graduated scalecenterline 70 as shown in FIG. 9. The first graduated scale centerline60 and the second graduated scale centerline 70 run through the centerof the graduation marks 62, 64, 72 and 74 and extend in the heightdimension 22 from the bottom wall 12 to the top wall 15 of the wet wiperefill container 10. In an embodiment, the first graduated scalecenterline 60 and the second graduated scale centerline 70 may not sharea common position along the width dimension 26 as is shown in FIG. 9. Inan embodiment, the first graduated scale centerline 60 and the secondgraduated scale centerline 70 share a common position along the widthdimension 26 as is shown in FIG. 10. In an embodiment, the firstgraduated scale centerline 60 and the second graduated scale centerline70 may each be in a different side wall 14. In an embodiment, the firstgraduated scale centerline 60 and the second graduated scale centerline70 may be in the same side wall 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d or 44.

In an embodiment, while referring to FIG. 11, the wet wipe refillcontainer 10 includes a first graduated scale 59 that includes a firstgraduation 62 and a second graduation 64. The first graduation 62 isplaced the first recommended refill thickness 63 a upward from thebottom wall 12 in the height dimension 22. The first recommended refillthickness 63 is associated with the first graduated scale 59 and isassociated with a particular wet wipe dispenser 100. The secondgraduation 64 is placed the first recommended refill thickness 63 bassociated with the same wet wipe dispenser 100 upward from the firstgraduation 62 in the height dimension 22. The wet wipe refill container10 includes a second graduated scale 69 that includes a first graduation72 and a second graduation 74. The first graduation 72 is placed thesecond recommended refill thickness 73 a upward from the bottom wall 12in the height dimension 22. The second recommended refill thickness 73is associated with the second graduated scale 69 and is associated witha particular wet wipe dispenser 120 that is different from theparticular wet wipe dispenser 100 associated with the first graduatedscale 59. The second graduation 74 is placed the second recommendedrefill thickness 73 b associated with the same wet wipe dispenser 120upward from the first graduation 72 in the height dimension 22. The wetwipe refill container 10 additionally includes a third graduated scale79 that includes a first graduation 82. The first graduation 82 isplaced a third recommended refill thickness 83 upward from the bottomwall 12 in the height dimension 22. The third recommended refillthickness 83 is associated with the third graduated scale 79 and isassociated with a particular wet wipe dispenser 130 that is differentfrom the particular wet wipe dispensers 100 and 120 that are associatedwith the first graduated scale 59 and the second graduated scale 69,respectively. Wet wipe dispenser indicia 65, 75 or 85 may be associatedwith each graduated scale 59, 69 or 79 to further assist the user withidentifying the wet wipe dispenser 100, 120 or 130 that is associatedwith the graduated scale 59, 69 or 79 of interest. A first wet wipedispenser indicia 65 may be associated with the first graduated scale 59that is associated with the first recommended refill thickness 63 forthe associated first wet wipe dispenser 100. A second wet wipe dispenserindicia 75 may be associated with the second graduated scale 69 that isassociated with the second recommended refill thickness 73 for theassociated second wet wipe dispenser 120. A third wet wipe dispenserindicia 85 may be associated with the third recommended refill thickness83 for the associated third wet wipe dispenser 130. In certainembodiments, it is to be understood that several graduation marks 62,64, 72, 74 and 82 may be present for each graduated scale 59, 69 or 79for the wet wipe refill container 10. In an embodiment, the first,second and third graduated scales, 59, 69 and 79, may includecenterlines that share a common position along the width dimension 26.In an embodiment, the first, second and third graduated scales, 59, 69and 79, may include centerlines that do not share a common positionalong the width dimension 26.

In an embodiment, the wet wipe refill container 10 may include more thanone graduated scale 59, 69 or 79 as shown in FIG. 9-FIG. 11. In certainembodiments, one of the side walls 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d, or 44 mayinclude all of the graduated scales 59, 69 or 79. In other embodiments,each side wall 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d, and 44 may include a singlegraduated scale 59, 69, or 79, or multiple graduated scales, 59, 69 or79. For example, one side wall 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d, or 44 may includethe first graduated scale 59, the second side wall 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14d, or 44 may include the second graduated scale 69, and the third sidewall 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d, or 44 may include the third graduated scale79. In another embodiment, one side wall 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d, or 44may include the first graduated scale 59 and another side wall 14 a, 14b, 14 c, 14 d, or 44 may include the second graduated scale 69 and thethird graduated scale 79.

In the interests of brevity and conciseness, any ranges of values setforth in this disclosure contemplate all values within the range and areto be construed as support for claims reciting any sub-ranges havingendpoints which are whole number values within the specified range inquestion. By way of hypothetical example, a disclosure of a range from 1to 5 shall be considered to support claims to any of the followingranges: 1 to 5; 1 to 4; 1 to 3; 1 to 2; 2 to 5; 2 to 4; 2 to 3; 3 to 5;3 to 4; and 4 to 5.

While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described, itwould be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changesand modifications can be made without departing from the spirit andscope of this disclosure. It is therefore intended to cover in theappended claims all such changes and modifications that are within thescope of this disclosure.

We claim:
 1. A refill container having a height dimension, the container comprising: a bottom wall; at least one side wall contiguous with the bottom wall and extending in the height dimension upward from the bottom wall; an exterior surface; an interior surface; an access opening; a plurality of articles stacked in the height dimension; and a graduated scale disposed on the side wall, the graduated scale comprising a first graduation, wherein the first graduation is spaced a recommended refill thickness from the bottom wall in the height dimension.
 2. The refill container of claim 1, wherein the access opening is spaced apart from the bottom wall in the height dimension.
 3. The refill container of claim 1, wherein the access opening is in a plane that is parallel to the bottom wall.
 4. The refill container of claim 1, wherein the access opening is in a plane that is perpendicular to the bottom wall.
 5. The refill container of claim 1, wherein the first graduation is disposed on the exterior surface of the refill container and is visible or tactilely detectable from the interior surface.
 6. The graduated scale of claim 1 comprising a second graduation that is disposed on the side wall, wherein the second graduation is spaced the recommended refill thickness upward from the first graduation in the height dimension.
 7. A refill container having a height dimension, the container comprising: a bottom wall; a first side wall and a second side wall contiguous with the bottom wall and extending in the height dimension; an exterior surface; an interior surface; an access opening; a plurality of articles stacked in the height dimension; a first graduated scale disposed on one of the first and the second side walls, the first graduated scale comprising a first graduation, wherein the first graduation is spaced a first recommended refill thickness upward from the bottom wall in the height dimension; and a second graduated scale disposed on one of the first and the second side walls, the second graduated scale comprising a first graduation, wherein the first graduation is spaced a second recommended refill thickness upward from the bottom wall in the height dimension.
 8. The refill container of claim 7, wherein the first graduated scale comprises a second graduation and wherein the second graduation is spaced the first recommended refill thickness upward from the first graduation in the height dimension.
 9. The refill container of claim 7, wherein the second graduated scale comprises a second graduation and wherein the second graduation is spaced the second recommended refill thickness upward from the first graduation in the height dimension.
 10. The refill container of claim 7, wherein the access opening is spaced apart from the bottom wall in the height dimension.
 11. The refill container of claim 7, wherein the access opening is in a plane that is parallel to the bottom wall.
 12. The refill container of claim 7, wherein the access opening is in a plane that is perpendicular to the bottom wall.
 13. A wipes dispensing system comprising: a first refillable wipe dispenser adapted to house a stack of wipes having at most a first recommended refill thickness; a second refillable wipe dispenser adapted to house a stack of wipes having at most a second recommended refill thickness wherein the first recommended refill thickness is different than the second recommended refill thickness; a refill container having a height dimension, the container comprising: a bottom wall; a first side wall and a second side wall contiguous with the bottom wall, the first side wall and the second side wall having a width dimension perpendicular to the height dimension; an access opening; a plurality of articles stacked in the height dimension; a first graduated scale disposed on one of the first and the second side walls, the first graduated scale comprising a first graduation, wherein the first graduation is spaced the first recommended refill thickness upward from the bottom wall in the height dimension; a second graduated scale disposed on one of the first and the second side walls, the second graduated scale comprising a first graduation, wherein the first graduation is spaced the second recommended refill thickness from the bottom wall in the height dimension.
 14. The refill container of claim 13, wherein the access opening is spaced apart from the bottom wall in the height dimension.
 15. The refill container of claim 13, wherein the access opening is in a plane that is parallel to the bottom wall.
 16. The refill container of claim 13, wherein the access opening is in a plane that is perpendicular to the bottom wall.
 17. The wipes dispensing system of claim 13, wherein the first graduated scale comprises a second graduation, wherein the second graduation is spaced a first recommended refill thickness upward from the first graduation in the height dimension.
 18. The wipes dispensing system of claim 13, wherein the second graduated scale comprises a second graduation, wherein the second graduation is spaced a second recommended refill thickness upward from the first graduation in the height dimension.
 19. The wipes dispensing system of claim 13, wherein the first graduated scale has a first centerline extending in the height dimension and the second graduated scale has a second centerline extending in the height dimension and wherein the first centerline and the second centerline share a common position along the width dimension of one of the first and the second side walls.
 20. The wipes dispensing system of claim 13, wherein the first graduated scale has a first centerline extending in the height dimension and the second graduated scale has a second centerline extending in the height dimension, wherein the first centerline and the second centerline are in the first or the second side walls. 